Grossing Technician (Pathology)

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the general supervision of a Pathologist or the Managing Pathologist Assistant, accessions, prepare and performance of human specimen (and animal if research) dissection and postmortem (necropsy) examination. Provides technical support to pathology department pathologist and pathology residents (specimen dissection, provision of paperwork, supplies etc.).  Provides technical and logistical support to the laboratories as needed, specifically, grossing small biopsies, accessioning surgical specimens and assisting pathologists in performing frozen section.  Maintains cleanliness and infection control in surgical pathology dissection suites, mortuary and autopsy facility.

Provides support services to the Decedent Affairs Office as required.  Assists physicians with autopsies, preparation of death certificates and related paperwork (autopsy permission, reporting to New England Organ Bank).

Position: Grossing Technician       

Department: Pathology Lab

Schedule: Full Time

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:

 Surgical Pathology Services/ Frozen Section Service Support

• Prepare and gross small surgical, biopsies and autopsy specimens, including dissecting and sectioning tissues according to standard operating procedures.
• Performs some duties of a Histotechnologist to include, organizing, processing, cutting frozen sections, staining, and otherwise preparing tissue for microscopic evaluation by the Pathologist.
• Obtains patient’s clinical history and tissue type for specimens missing this information.
• Administers the daily operation of the surgical pathology dissection suite. Cleans and disinfects work area, inventories and stocks supplies.  Monitors and cleans instruments and equipment (fume hoods, cryostats, etc.).
• Assists with materials management within the department.  Collects and co-ordinates delivery of consumable supplies and equipment to laboratories and satellite offices.  Monitors inventory of store room under the direction of the laboratory supervisor and/or department manager.
• Participates in removal of hazardous waste from laboratories to storage facility within the department.  Communicates with safety department as necessary.
• Exhibits an understanding and knowledge of: histologic tissue preparation, opening and embedding cassettes, slide labeling and coverslipping.
• Prepares chemicals and dyes for use in routine and special staining techniques of diagnostic specimens.
• Exhibits an understanding and knowledge of: routine histologic staining and set-up of frozen-section staining area; use of automated tissue staining equipment and operation and maintenance of automated coverslipper.
• Performs accurate labeling and filing of slides and blocks. Records statistical data (e.g., number of cases, blocks, slides, stains) and tests results on a daily basis.
• Cleans and maintains tissue processors
• Calibrates and maintains laboratory equipment.  Reports malfunctioning equipment to supervisor and maintains daily log of equipment performance.  Assists with equipment delivery.  Performs preventative maintenance and QC documentation of laboratory equipment.
• Implements and understands the concepts of Universal Precautions, chemical hygiene, infection control and laboratory safety.
• Quality Control checks and temperature monitoring and documentation for laboratory equipment.

Mortuary Services Support

• Participates as a team member of the Decedent Affairs Office.
• Receives deceased patients from hospital transport.
• Escorts deceased patients to hospital morgue for storage and places deceased patients into mortuary refrigerators.
• Accessions deceased patients.  Summarizes statistics of deceased patients on a monthly basis for department manager.
• Communicates on behalf of the Decedent Affairs Office with regard to death certificates and body release authorization forms.
• Communicates with funeral directors, hospital house staff, pathology staff, and Medical Examiners’ office with regard to autopsies or body release.
• Ensures that documents regarding release of deceased patients (death certificates, release authorization forms) are accurate and complete.
• Ensures that the identity of the deceased patient has been confirmed, prior to release, by correlating the death certificate with patient name tag, wrist band, toe tag etc.
• Communicates with families of deceased patients.  Assists and guides with issues pertaining to the mortuary service.
• Organizes and assists with deceased patient viewing.  Prepares deceased for viewing by family.  Operates video monitoring equipment.  Confers with psychiatric nurses, social workers and administrators as necessary.
• Schedules and performs release of bodies to funeral directors, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and/or livery services.  Keeps appropriate records of these transactions.
• Cares for and distributes personal effects of deceased patients to appropriate departments (valuables, clothes etc.)
• Cleans and disinfects morgue, morgue refrigerators, receiving areas and equipment.
• Discards all biohazard and chemical waste in accordance with hospital policies and procedures.

Autopsy Assistance

• Ascertains correct legal authorization for autopsy.  Checks autopsy permission form to confirm accuracy and completeness.
• Retrieves patient chart and medical record and any other pertinent data.
• Confers with pathologist to determine necessity for special specimen collection techniques and notifies all personnel involved.
• Contacts pathology resident and pathologist on call, attending clinical physician listed on death certificate and all other authorities prior to beginning dissection.  Coordinates special requests for organ sampling.
• Performs postmortem examination including; external examination, in situ organ inspection, evisceration, dissection and dictation or recording of data, i.e. organ weights, presence of body fluids and gross anatomic findings.
• Collaborates with pathologist to select and prepare gross tissue samples for frozen and permanent sections.
• Photographs and archives body, organs, microscope slides and other relevant material.
• Collates data for quality improvement indicators as directed.

OTHER DUTIES:

• Groups data for quality improvement indicators as directed.

• Utilizes hospital’s cultural beliefs as the basis for decision making and to support the hospital’s mission and goals.

• Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures.
• Performs other duties as needed.

(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job.  The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required).

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's degree in a laboratory science or medical laboratory technology obtained from an accredited institution  

       OR       

An earned associate degree in a laboratory science or medical laboratory technology, obtained from an accredited institution, OR Education/training equivalent to the above that includes at least 60 semester hours or equivalent from an accredited institution.  This education must include 24 semester hours of medical laboratory technology courses, OR 24 semester hours of science courses that includes 6 semester hours of chemistry, 6 semester hours of biology, and 12 semester hours of chemistry, biology or medical laboratory technology in any combination.  In addition, the individual must have laboratory training including either completion of a clinical laboratory training program approved or accredited by the ABHES, NAACLA, or other organization approved by HHS (note that this training may be included in the 60 semester hours listed above), OR at least 3 months documented laboratory training in each specialty in which the individual performs high complexity testing.

Minimum Requirements

Pathology Assistants that perform tissue grossing as well as other duties, such as histology and mortuary services: Must meet the minimum educational requirements listed above to qualify as personnel performing high complexity testing.

Pathology Assistants performing only histological processing (histological process defined as beginning when the tissue is in the cassettes) and/or only mortuary services and autopsy assistance:. There is no complexity designation or personnel qualification requirements for performing this stage of specimen preparation. Slide preparation for pathologist interpretation is what CLIA considers as processing and it is not subject to CLIA requirements. Certification is not required, however it is preferred. In addition, an applied knowledge of histologic tissue preparation and techniques pertaining to histology is required. An associate’s degree plus two years experience is preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:

Certification is not required 

EXPERIENCE:

(See educational requirements)

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Demonstrated accuracy and precision with accessioning, gross description, fixation and processing of human surgical specimen dissections.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Basic computer proficiency inclusive of ability to access, enter, and interpret computerized data/information required.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans

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